[X] The poor girl has had to deal with your nosiness enough for now. You'll head home, and deal with this tomorrow, when you will…
- [X] ...go register for classes like a reasonable person, because they start the day after tomorrow oh stars that's soon. Ari can wait, you need to make sure the classes you want aren't full!
You puzzle over the dilemma for longer than you'd like, but in the end there's not much of a choice. You don't know when, where, or even if Ari is going to leave the temple tonight, so waiting for her is pretty much futile. But I will figure this out, you promise yourself. After all, this mystery is too intriguing to just drop.
[That's a bit tangential to our overall goals,] Visilthael chimed in, [but having a hobby is essential for one's mental well-being in any case.]
I'm not so sure it's tangential, actually. Though the opportunity to shoot her own words back at her was always nice, you did, deep down, appreciate the vocab lessons. You were still in my dorm room, but I uh... had this queasy sensation, while Ari and I were eating out. It was this... sudden bout of it, and passed really quickly.
[This is where we talk about the quality of your cafeteria food, yes?]
Sure, I'd pass it off as just something weird about the food, if Ari hadn't gotten all weird immediately afterward. Staring at the wall, making sudden excuses to leave.
[As I was saying about the cafeteria food--]
V, I think I can tell the difference between someone running off to the toilet and someone who has, out of the blue, suddenly started acting completely paranoid. Don't you think I can tell the difference?
Visilthael chooses not to argue with that one. [Ah, and with the man making comments about her 'stabbing blades into every shadow' and this afternoon...]
Exactly. Do you... have any idea what that sensation was? Is it something to do with being a Valkyrie now?
[It's hard to be certain,] Visilthael admitted. [Becoming a Valkyrie, particularly with how deeply you drew on me, has provided you with additional sensitivity to certain phenomena, that your body won't understand the sensation of yet. Nausea is a common reaction, an attempt of your body to make sense of unfamiliar and unprecedented stimulae. However, there's no clear rule or delineation that marks what is normal for a Valkyrie as separate from that which is not. I think you should be aware and note the next time you experience something like that, and then... well.] Visilthael sighed. [I'd tell you it could be nothing, but not paying attention to possible connections is the sort of thing that can get you killed. So it's probably something - though I hasten to add that it is not necessarily anything that is relevant to Kariel or her servants.]
You mull that over for a bit, and - after some hearing enhancement to help you ensure the street is clear - leave the temple with a few graceful leaps, swiftly canceling your transformation on the other side. A brief glance from side to side helps you ensure the street is clear, and you set off back towards the school.
Mera: 1d12 Base + 2d6 Awareness + 1d4 Animal Features → 15 (8 + 1 + 5 + 1). 1 slip.
15 vs ??
Result: ??
[You seem… distressed. I'm sorry I couldn't give you a more helpful answer.]
Shaking your head, you think reassuring thoughts at your partner. Not distressed, V, and you shouldn't blame yourself. You answered as best as you could -- even if it's a lot of words to say 'I'm sorry, I don't know' -- but you're right to point out that I'm going to have to pay attention to things like that, so that I can deal with… "unfamiliar and unprecedented" things as they emerge.
[Right, well, that's good to hear.] Visilthael's lack of corporeal shoulders didn't stop her from sounding like she'd had a weight lifted off of them. [I'm pleased I could be of assistance, at least. However, you seem like you have something else you wanted to ask?]
Right, 'Kariel.' You mentioned her before, as like a... leader figure, or a champion? Can you tell me more?
[Right, of course. Kariel was - no, remains - one of our chief foes. Which is to say, one of Her greatest servants.] You can practically hear the loathing in the word 'Her' - and its clear significance. But as she continues, loathing turning to... fear? [She is very potent, and exceedingly dangerous. You can't fight her, Mera, I need you to understand that. If we see her, you must focus solely on escape. On... survival.]
Your ears stand up as you catch a strange undercurrent in her voice. Woah, woah. I get it, she's dangerous, but... what's the deal here, V? You don't just seem concerned, you seem... you trail off and silence takes over as the penny drops. Did she do something to you?
She doesn't answer immediately, but you let the void linger rather than trying to fill it. She can tell you in her own ti--
The barest flicker of movement triggers a flash of alarm from senses you didn't even know you had, and you hurl yourself to the side, into an alleyway, transforming as you do. You catch a glimpse of purple light striking the street where you were before blasting a small but nasty-looking crater in the cobblestone, but your attention is soon redirected to the slow, mocking clapping.
"Well, I guess you aren't totally unobservant," says the new arrival, casually perched on an eave and cutting a rather dashing figure. The first thing you notice is the dark gray cloak draped around her, hood thrown back to reveal crimson-red hair done up in a long braid. Unlike your own coat, it is largely devoid of ornamentation.
Her transformation lacks armor entirely, it seems - or at least lacks it in the hard, metallic form that you possess. The base layer, much like your own, is a gray bodysuit - in her case seemingly covering her from the neck down. More conventional clothes are layered atop, though clearly part of the design; a blue halter-top edged in white, descending into something halfway between a side-slit skirt and a loincloth. Her hands bear gloves of the same design, reaching up to just below her elbow, and lines of a dull purple glow trace her underlayer, throbbing dimly.
Your eyes narrow. "You're a Valkyrie," you point up at her, almost accusingly. "Why did you just attack me? Is this some bullshit Valkyrie 'hello' ritual?" Wait, maybe that wasn't the best way to say...
[Now now, let's not use words like that out loud.] Her voice seems... more distant than Visilthael's, but still in your head.
Stars smite it why can everyone hear me thinking!? What do I need to do to get some privacy in here?
[She can't, actually,] Visilthael says quietly. [That's just me. You'll need to form your thoughts into a message to send to her. It should be instinctive, but some people have a bit of trouble with it...]
For a moment you're confused - you don't know how to send a message with your mind that's ridiculous - but you find that you do know how to do it, somehow, the knowledge springing to mind when you take the time to think about it. That is... frankly a bit disturbing, but you can put that on your ever-growing list of "things to deal with later." [Fine, we can talk like this then. Question remains.]
[I needed to check and see whether you were competent enough to bother working with.]
Eyes narrowing, you inch closer. [That sounds uncomfortably like "yes, it is a bullshit hello ritual"]
V chimes in with a sigh. [No. It's not.]
[I've been shadowing you ever since you fell out of the Ways, and you didn't notice me once. That sort of blindness would get you killed on a battlefield, you know.] You would expect condescension, in a statement like that, but there isn't any to speak of, instead just a calm statement of fact. That's almost worse, honestly.
[Yeah, well...] You sigh, ears drooping. [I've had a long day, okay?]
[A reason, but not an excuse. Well...] she shrugs and slips off the eave, landing cleanly in front of you. [Your danger sense is functional enough, and that will do. Introductions, then?] In a shimmer of purple, she canceled her transformation, revealing... Lirai.
You stare. What. Wait, how did I not recognize her? That doesn't make any sense, her transformation doesn't even cover her face!
[One of the core functions of an Arc Release is successfully hiding your identity. Even through deduction. If someone has not physically seen you transform, and you haven't told them, they can't put it together,] Visilthael tells you.
Wait wait what. How is that even possible? That would be an insanely complex working, and should fail if people have enough resis--
[I'm afraid I actually don't understand it myself. Much like the core nature of an Arc Release, it is one of the Maker's masterworks, and beyond my comprehension.]
Lirai cleared her throat politely.
"Oh! Uh, sorry..." you cancel your own transformation. "I... didn't realize you were a..." Wait, she objected to me saying it out loud before. "...comrade." You smile and extend a hand to her. She regards it for a moment, then shakes it, giving you a polite smile in return.
"Neither did I. I... mm. I suppose that explains that affair with the first-year last night?" She gestures for you to walk with her, setting a course back towards the school; after a moment's rush to catch up, you keep pace with her easily.
"Oh... yeah. There was a uh, giant spider looking demon." You frown. "Wait, shouldn't you have sensed it?"
She shakes her head. "No, I received mine this morning. You seem to have acquitted yourself well despite my absence, though."
"Oh. Uh... yeah, I guess." you trail off. Wait. She's had this thing for less that a day, and she's already acting like an aloof master-in-residence? How does that even happen? V, was she infused with the Essence of Smug? Is that something that happens? How am I supposed to deal with this?
[If I can deal with you, my dear, I think you'll be able to figure out Lirai.]
For a long moment the silence lingers, as you try to hash out whether that was meant to be a compliment or an insult. You never decide, though, as your train of thought is hijacked by a wayward memory. Wait, V, didn't you say that there was another Valkyrie around campus? The night of the attack?
[Ah yes, I did. I detected traces of a Valkyrie's activity, though nothing specific enough to even pin down which Arc Release.]
But if it wasn't Lirai, then... "Have you seen any others like us? There should have been another around last night, but I never did find them..."
She frowned. "No, nothing at all. I suppose we could have simply missed one another, but that does seem... odd."
"I probably should have checked it out last night, but," you yawn, "I was sort of exhausted at that point... and busy this morning"
"Well, I'll keep an eye out myself. They'll presumably show themselves in the next few days, though - to handle any emergent demons, if nothing else."
"Oh, true. Good point." Though that makes it even stranger that the other Valkyrie didn't show up last night. There was a demon on campus, and she - wait, do we know gender? Valks aren't all girls, right?
[No, they are not. Some of us prefer to choose wielders with specific traits, and others don't; sometimes that can be gender, but it can as easily be impulsivity, or a tendency towards subtle solutions.]
Huh. Good to know, I guess.
You return your attention to Lirai, only to find her with an eyebrow raised skeptically. "Something to share with the class?"
[She's your wingmate,] V notes. [You should… talk with her. Wingmate things. Yes?]
"Oh uh, no, I was just double checking. Um..."
Damn. What do… 'wingmates' talk about with one another?
[ ] To get to know one another you should share where you're from and stuff, right? Tell her about yourself, see if she'll open up.
[ ] You should stay focused on what you have in common. Talk about what you've found out so far, with Kariel and that weird lab, maybe she'll have something worth sharing as well.
[ ] You're both students; instead, talk about school. Plans for this quarter's classes, maybe?
[ ] Write in (broad strokes, not specific dialogue).
[X] You should stay focused on what you have in common. Talk about what you've found out so far, with Kariel and that weird lab, maybe she'll have something worth sharing as well.
[X] You should stay focused on what you have in common. Talk about what you've found out so far, with Kariel and that weird lab, maybe she'll have something worth sharing as well.
[X] You should stay focused on what you have in common. Talk about what you've found out so far, with Kariel and that weird lab, maybe she'll have something worth sharing as well.
[X] You should stay focused on what you have in common. Talk about what you've found out so far, with Kariel and that weird lab, maybe she'll have something worth sharing as well.
[X] You should stay focused on what you have in common. Talk about what you've found out so far, with Kariel and that weird lab, maybe she'll have something worth sharing as well.
Life and death seems like a good thing to get out of the way first.
[X] You should stay focused on what you have in common. Talk about what you've found out so far, with Kariel and that weird lab, maybe she'll have something worth sharing as well.
It's back!
[X] You should stay focused on what you have in common. Talk about what you've found out so far, with Kariel and that weird lab, maybe she'll have something worth sharing as well.
Also, I reread all the story posts (because I'd forgotten a lot) and have become tentatively convinced that Ari has Penumbral Sigil.
Edit:
1. Meow rating from QM!
2. I forgot to mention: we're starting to meet other Valkyries way sooner than I thought we would.
[One of the core functions of an Arc Release is successfully hiding your identity. Even through deduction. If someone has not physically seen you transform, and you haven't told them, they can't put it together,]
It sort of depends on how broad the list is. Mera and Lirai can speculate about who could make valid candidates (well, they'd need their release intelligences to explain how candidate criteria work in the first place), comment that it needs to be someone who was on campus that night, etc, but attempting to move from those very vague analyses to actually narrowing down people it could or couldn't be... well, their thought processes sort of end, their attention slides away from it, etc. It's all a very weird and unpleasant experience.
The Arc Releases were created to operate in the context of a large-scale evil empire (to summarize, that's a very reductive description) that had successfully conquered the world and would for the most part have humanity under its thumb, and provide a viable resistance. Their safety measures for things like hiding out are pretty comprehensive, and getting around them is by design very difficult. Not impossible - you could theoretically say, determine a general region a Valkyrie is living within and blow it up - but difficult.
[X] You should stay focused on what you have in common. Talk about what you've found out so far, with Kariel and that weird lab, maybe she'll have something worth sharing as well.
No no, you're not thinking about this like a Valkyrie. If you ambush someone and they dodge, that means they're either an ally or an enemy, safely ruling out the 'just a normal person' option. (Those guys didn't dodge.) From there, any lingering doubt can be resolved by more attacks.
[X] You should stay focused on what you have in common. Talk about what you've found out so far, with Kariel and that weird lab, maybe she'll have something worth sharing as well.
Question about the combat system. When it says that damage is equal (threshold + Might + weapon rating), is threshold then one damage for every point the attack succeeded by ? As in, if the attack roll is 17 and the defense roll is 13, the threshold is 4?
Because if so, Speed and Might seem like pretty useless skills. When you're attacking, an extra rank in strike would add 3,5 in damage (on average), while an extra rank in might would only add 1 damage and the same goes when you're defending (a rank in Footwork or Block would make you take 3,5 less damage on average every time you're attacked). Endurance would seem pretty useless as well, given that a rank in Footwork or Block on average would mitigate 3,5 more damage per attack, while a rank in endurance makes you able to take 6 more damage in total before you're critically wounded.
Question about the combat system. When it says that damage is equal (threshold + Might + weapon rating), is threshold then one damage for every point the attack succeeded by ? As in, if the attack roll is 17 and the defense roll is 13, the threshold is 4?
Because if so, Speed and Might seem like pretty useless skills. When you're attacking, an extra rank in strike would add 3,5 in damage (on average), while an extra rank in might would only add 1 damage and the same goes when you're defending (a rank in Footwork or Block would make you take 3,5 less damage on average every time you're attacked). Endurance would seem pretty useless as well, given that a rank in Footwork or Block on average would mitigate 3,5 more damage per attack, while a rank in endurance makes you able to take 6 more damage in total before you're critically wounded.
Mm, it's been a while since I've actually looked at my system notes, but from memory Speed and Might are intended to be slightly weaker, because they're reliable and have more common out-of-combat uses, but not that much weaker. Any changes to Speed and Might are probably going to necessitate Endurance changes as well; I'll take a look this weekend and make revisions if needed.
As a general meta question here, we obviously want to find the other Valk. But we already had Lirai 'test' us. Should we go out of our way to find more or try to play it cool like our new ally?
As a general meta question here, we obviously want to find the other Valk. But we already had Lirai 'test' us. Should we go out of our way to find more or try to play it cool like our new ally?
How was she playing it cool? She herself was only recruited that morning and, as I understand it, she sorta stumbled upon us by chance and then...briefly tested our situational awareness before approaching us?
Regardless, I don't think there is anything we can do to try to find them, other than hope we run into them while fighting demons some time.
How was she playing it cool? She herself was only recruited that morning and, as I understand it, she sorta stumbled upon us by chance and then...briefly tested our situational awareness before approaching us?
According to Lirai. Who spent -- if you go by her sequence of events -- a considerable percentage of her total time as a Valkyrie stalking you undetected, before 'introducing' herself in a way that tested your reaction time in a manner that just happens to give her a serious leg up should she decide to have a second go.
I'll leave it up to you to decide how much you want to trust her sequence of events.
[ ] You should stay focused on what you have in common. Talk about what you've found out so far, with Kariel and that weird lab, maybe she'll have something worth sharing as well.
Necros that aren't constructive or otherwise something that offsets the annoyance are still unofficially frowned upon (and annoys the heck out of the other readers), but no, there's no rule that actually bans them... At least, that's the case last I checked?